Shadowmen
by mew-tsubaki
Summary: Twins are oft treasured. Yet they may also be a curse. For George, Lorcan, Freddie, and Parvati, they will always be overshadowed by their twins. Perhaps it's time they did something about it. Love is on the menu tonight, luvs. R&R, please & thanks.
1. We Convene

**Shadowmen**

A HariPo fanfiction

by mew-tsubaki

Note: These characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. Chapter one here was for the _**100 Prompts**_ challenge by **xXKissingSinXx**, and I used **29, 30, 58, 77, and 85.** Everyone should go check out her prompts! They're excellent for helping you get the right motivation to start a story! Anyways… Read, review, and enjoy!

- ^-^3

**Chapter 1: We Convene**

As George Weasley sat in his empty living room, he knew that he'd have to move on. She was gone and wasn't coming back. He knew it and had partially expected it since they'd first come together, but it still stung.

Well, hell, at least both of the kids were out of school.

George grimaced and headed into the kitchen. How could Angelina have treated him as such? Well… Angelina had been kind, but she'd never been the spitfire with him that she'd been with Fred. He'd known all this time that she'd seen him as Fred's replacement, but it still hurt that she'd finally left him. After two kids and a little more than twenty years of marriage, George thought that maybe he'd managed to hold the woman on his own.

He wouldn't make that mistake again. Nope, now he knew a guy couldn't win acceptance from a woman whose heart would be forever held by someone else. Though he missed his twin like he would miss a limb, he admitted he was jealous of Fred—after all, wasn't it bad enough that Fred had left him alone? Did he have to hang on to Angelina, too?

The wizard gave up trying to find food. There wasn't anything in the kitchen he wanted. There wasn't anything in the house he wanted. What he wanted had stood up and walked right out the front door.

"Dad, are you okay?" his twenty-year-old son, Fred, asked. He wore an uncharacteristic frown on his face.

George looked at him and sighed. "I'm fine, Freddie. I just… I think I'm gonna go to Florean's, or something. I kinda want chocolate."

Freddie, still frowning, nodded and moved out of the doorway to let his father by. "All right. I'll see you later, Dad. Roxie and I will fend for ourselves, but I'll see that we leave something out for you."

George numbly nodded his head. He reached for a jacket on his way out and then thought better of it, remembering that it was summer. He scolded himself; he should get out of this funk. Angelina had left at the beginning of spring.

He actually Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, not to Florean Fortescue's. As he mulled it over, firewhiskey and not Chocolate Frogs on top of ice cream would better comfort him. Besides, who would care if he made a ruckus at the bar?

Eh, besides the other patrons, he meant.

Honestly, George found himself wishing that Angelina had been with another man. Erm…in a way, she _had_, but George meant in an affair sort of way. That he felt he could handle. But when one's wife is just in love with one's dead twin—yeah, no amount of therapy could get him through that. With the exception of firewhiskey therapy.

"Hey, there, George."

The Weasley muttered under his breath. Did someone _have_ to join him? Why couldn't he just be all mopey like Moaning Myrtle on his own? He turned and saw Lorcan Scamander, Luna's older twin son, take a seat beside him and order a butterbeer. Lorcan's face was creased with sadness. George knew that look all too well. Lorcan had women issues, too. "So what're you in for?" he asked the blonde wizard.

Lorcan grimly smiled. "Do I look that bad? … Hah, I guess I do." He gazed into his mug. "It's Dominique."

"My niece? Jeez, she takes after her sister."

Lorcan gave him a disgruntled look. "Dom's _nothing_ like Victoire. Vic's a user, as much as Bill and Fleur would like to be blind to it."

George shrugged in agreement and sipped his drink.

"Dominique's planning her wedding to Lysander."

George's hand rested on his mug's handle. That was something else, another thing that didn't surprise him. Whenever two brothers were in love with the same woman, one was always chosen over the other. It was rare that both brothers lost, but normally one would win. In George's case, his twin Fred would always get Angelina in the end. In Lorcan's case, his twin Lysander would get Dominique. Sometimes George thought it a curse to be a twin. But he also knew how much he loved and missed Fred. Curse the contradiction.

Lorcan heaved a large sigh. "It was stupid of me to fall for Sander's girl."

"Eh, we're all stupid at some point." He paused, wondering. "Did you fall for her before she was Sander's?"

"Yeah…"

"Then we're the same. Being a twin _is_ a cursed fate," he muttered darkly to himself.

"But I'd die if I ever lost my brother," Lorcan commented.

"Then you'd know how I feel."

There was a moment's silence. "Is she really gone?"

George nodded. "Yes. Once Angelina makes up her mind, it's set. She's not going to return."

"It was a shocker when Roxanne and Teddy told me about it a while ago…"

"Life goes on," George replied, finishing his second drink. He glanced at the younger wizard. "Do you want to talk about Dominique?"

Lorcan briefly smiled. "Yes…but some other night."

"It smarts, doesn't it?"

"Just like a band-aid freshly ripped off the skin."

"A what?"

"Never mind."

- ^-^3

That was how the summer began for George. It turned out that Lorcan made an excellent drinking buddy. After that initial sulking, the two men met nearly every night to share stories and sympathies. After almost two weeks of this monotony, their routine was interrupted.

"Dad, _this_ is where I find you? I thought you were at Florean's!"

George turned from Lorcan and met Freddie's eyes. Freddie stood behind him, looking more than a little worked up and disappointed. Luckily, Freddie hadn't brought Roxanne along. If Roxie had come with her twin, George probably would've already been chewing on the bar's stone floor.

Freddie sent a disapproving look Lorcan's way, as well. "And Lorcan. How could you indulge him?"

"We're not getting drunk," Lorcan scoffed.

"Then why are there four empty mugs on the table?"

"One of them was my butterbeer, I swear!"

Freddie sighed and sat down beside his friend. "This is about Mum and Dominique, isn't it?"

Both Lorcan and George grumbled and turned away. George crossed his arms. "You wouldn't understand, Fred."

His son frowned. "And why shouldn't I? I have a twin, too! I've been overshadowed by her in love just like you two have!"

Lorcan raised an eyebrow and inched away a bit. "You, er, like Teddy _that_ way?"

"What? No! I'm not saying I've ever been in love with the same person as Roxie. I'm saying that I understand when my twin is put in the spotlight for romantic recognition!"

"So…you _don't_ like Teddy that way?"

"AGH! I'm not in love with Teddy!"

"Oi!" groaned a new voice. "I will pay you to shut up!"

George heaved an exasperated sigh as he was forced to make room on his side of the booth for the Indian woman. "Oh my Merlin… Parvati, _what_ are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to greet an old fellow Gryffindor?" sniffed the Patil twin. Actually, she really _did_ sniff. Her eyes were slightly red-rimmed, too. "Who's buying?"

"We're buying our own—"

"My treat," Lorcan slid in soothingly. He didn't miss a beat as he gave her a winning smile. "Anything for a pretty lady."

Parvati snorted. "Not working, little boy. I knew your mother."

Lorcan scowled. He turned to George. "See? I'm losing my womanizing ways!"

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe _that's_ why Dom is marrying Lysander?" Freddie interjected.

"Oh, sod off, Freddie."

"I'm just saying…"

"Hey, can I have my drink already?" Parvati asked. Automatically, a firewhiskey appeared before her. "Now _that's_ more like it."

"So again I ask: _What_ are you doing here?" George asked her.

"I'm in the same boat as you lot." She glared into her drink. "I'm nothing but a ghost when my twin sister's around."

George furrowed his brow. "Wait, what? I thought you're with Dean Thomas."

"'Were,' 'were' with Dean," she corrected. "It turned out he'd been seeing Padma on the side the whole time. Same face, nicer personality."

"That's horrible!" Freddie stated.

"That's basically what happened to me," Lorcan mumbled. He had his cheek cupped in the palm of his hand.

"I was always told_ I_ was the nicer one," George thought aloud.

"I _know_ I'm the nicer one," Freddie remarked to himself.

The table was silent a while. A heavy mood settled over them. Finally, Parvati broke the silence. "So what do you boys do? Just sit here feeling sorry for yourselves?"

The three wizards nodded.

"I have an idea—why not work together? We can help get each others' love lives back on track." Her proposal was met with sounds of indigestion. "Like getting drunk is the best way to handle your problems."

George and Lorcan pretty much nodded. Freddie looked squeamish, but shrugged. "Why not?" George retorted.

"Because you'll kill those two brain cells you have left."

"Hey!"

"How about you two?" Parvati asked the younger ones. "At least you'd be doing _something_."

Lorcan made a face before succumbing. "I don't think we have anything left to lose at this point…"

"And it'd be better than doing nothing this summer," Freddie mused.

"I'll join on one condition," George stated. He looked at all of them before he elaborated. "I want us to have a really cool name."

Parvati rolled her eyes. "Oh, good Merlin, George, must we? It's not like Dumbledore's Army. We're not standing up to Umbridge."

"I still want the cool name."

"Then _you_ come up with it! Wait, no, forget I said that. With you as the creativity, we'd probably end up being called something like the 'Pouting Pygmy Puffs.'" She grimaced and downed the rest of her firewhiskey. "Merlin, it was incredibly stupid of me to decide to join in your conversation."

Lorcan drummed his fingers on the table quietly, contemplating. As the only Ravenclaw there, it should've been easy for an idea to hit him. "We're all…_inferior_ to our siblings."

Parvati stopped bickering with George. All eyes were on the blonde wizard.

"There's something from history… It's been told in tales, too. Whenever twins were born into royalty or to parents who were gods, it was known that only one could become an heir. No matter how often the family wanted both children to succeed in life, only one would get the crown. So it was decreed that the one to get the throne would be the prince or princess. Meanwhile, the twin could keep their title, but he had to remain a ghost in the background."

"Hang on," Freddie stated. "I remember something like that in History of Magic."

Lorcan nodded. "Not many remember or know this, but the ghost twin was kept as a kind of doppelganger for the other. If anything happened to the first, then the second would step in as a replacement. No one would ever know the difference since the ghost twin had been groomed to be just like his brother. The second had only ever lived his life as his brother's shadow. That's what we are, mates: We're shadowmen."

- ^-^3

**Well, I think I used all the prompts. How'd I do? :D I hope to keep this to about 10 chapters, so please enjoy the story, though I might be slow in updating. A few notes:**

**The mention of Lorcan/Parvati? I already wrote a fic for them ("Tandoori, Please") and I found the pairing.**

**The joke of Freddie/Teddy? Yup, I found them, too! The story's "A Crap Ton of Firewhiskey and One Good Cry Later." So please, I only ask for a little mention if you decide to write fics for them! Thank you so much! Xo**

**And the shadow thing was partially inspired by Arina Tanemura's manga, ****Gentleman's Alliance Cross**** (****Shinshi Doumei Cross****), but it's a theme I've seen in other places, too, I just can't remember the names…! . But it's a little like ****The Prince and the Pauper****, too.**

**Up next: 2-"We Quickly Get to Work" Please review while you wait! :D**

**-mew-tsubaki ;)**


	2. We Quickly Get to Work

**Shadowmen**

A HariPo fanfiction

by mew-tsubaki

Note: These characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. Chapter one was for the _**100 Prompts**_ challenge by **xXKissingSinXx**, and I used **29, 30, 58, 77, and 85.** Everyone should go check out her prompts! They're excellent for helping you get the right motivation to start a story! Anyways… Read, review, and enjoy!

- ^-^3

**Chapter 2: We Quickly Get to Work**

"Shadowmen" really was an appropriate term for the group. It had stunned them into silence and, in George's case, sobriety. But, now armed with a name, there was a newfound sense of unity, and within a week the group began making plans.

"We really need to move this elsewhere," Parvati griped as she gestured to them and finished off her firewhiskey.

"She's right," Freddie stated. "We can't come in here every day and get sloshed."

George hmphed. "Fine. Since _you_ brought it up, _you_ volunteered _your_ place." He grinned wickedly. "Shall we?"

Parvati opened her mouth to protest, but—as she had no better alternative—she begrudgingly mumbled her agreement.

"So then we're going to initiate our plans, then?" Lorcan asked as he paid and they all gathered their belongings.

Freddie looked at each of them in turn. "What plans?"

"If you had cared to join our first meeting three days ago," his father quipped, "then you'd already know."

They borrowed Tom the bartender's fireplace and used the Floo Network to journey to Parvati's sizeable flat. She immediately barked at the boys to leave their jackets and shoes at the hearth, but she was more than ready to show off her living space. "It's not too bad for one person—or one and a guest," she said, smiling.

George gaped at the furnishings. He complimented her living style; her little apartment made his house seem dinky…er, quaint. He shook himself of the comparison and produced a small notepad. "So, uh, I've got the dates from Bill and Fleur."

"None of you has filled me in!" Freddie angrily reminded them.

Lorcan sighed. "Fred, I'm going to be a wedding crasher."

"_What_? But she's my cousin!" He looked to his father. "Your—Your _niece_!"

The Weasley man frowned as he and Parvati sat on the couch and Lorcan dropped himself into the recliner across from them. "I won't deny having a bit of a guilty conscience," George remarked, "but I'm tired of being on the losing side. I'm not going to just sit and take it anymore." He quirked an eyebrow. "I thought we all agreed to that when we formed this little committee—unless I'm mistaken?"

Freddie's cheeks flushed and he shrugged out of his sweater. "I'm all for trouble…but this…"

Lorcan waved him quiet and said, "Never mind that. The thing is, Sander and Dom's wedding is—" He glanced at George's notes. "—shit. Only two months away. They have it planned for the thirty-first of August?" He squinted at George. "Why _then_?"

George shrugged. "Fleur gibbered something about it being one of the most romantic dates for a summer wedding."

The blonde male ran a hand through his hair, his ocean-blue eyes fixing on the inked date. "This is going to make getting all my O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s seem exponentially easier."

Parvati poofed up a glass of water for herself and sipped at it. "You didn't actually have Dominique before, did you?" she asked, clasping her hands around her crossed knees.

"No, I didn't," Lorcan answered through gritted teeth. "But I've loved her for a very long time. Around the middle of our school years, it appeared she was flirting back. But it was very shortly after that that she started dating Lysander. I have no idea why."

She sighed. "Then you have your work cut out for you." She glanced at George. "We'll only resort to crashing the wedding as a last chance if things don't fall into place before then." The witch turned her stare back to the blonde. "You are going to have to throw your heart and soul into wooing her."

Lorcan smiled sadly. "That's nothing new to me."

George pursed his lips, uncomfortable with the following awkward silence. "Er, right. So, I think you should dive right in—"

"He'll have to be careful, he doesn't want to hurt his brother, really," Parvati interrupted.

George grunted. "You should dive right in," he repeated. "But be sly about it so Dom doesn't exactly realize you're sweeping her off her feet," he added with a pointed look to his old schoolmate.

"That actually doesn't sound half bad," Parvati praised. "Oh! You should approach her with the intention of wanting to help with the wedding preparations! Women love it when there's a knight available to significantly lessen their load!"

"Maybe you should suggest things for areas she hasn't gotten to yet," Freddie offered, finally coming around to their side. "It would make your help seem even more sincere."

"And no rushing her with chocolates or flowers," Parvati warned. "That will set off a red flag."

"Instead," George cut in softly, "offer to make a treat—or just bring one with you—when she's really tired or has had a stressful day. Dominique's not working now, but your brother is, right? That leaves most of the plans on her plate."

Lorcan considered the others' input and already some very appetizing scenarios were playing out in his mind's eye. He grinned wolfishly. "I think I have enough to at least get her considering being the _other_ Mrs. Scamander… And, if all fails, I can just ruin some lovely festivities." The Ravenclaw whistled a tad nervously. "Shyeah, no pressure there… What about you?" he asked, side-glancing at Freddie.

The tan Weasley twin grimaced. "What _about_ me? There's not much of a choice for me."

"No one at _all_, son?" George asked, one brow quirked. It was hard to believe any son of his held no flame for someone at his age.

Freddie was silent a while. "Well…"

Lorcan pumped his fist in the air. "HA! I knew it! So, tell us her name, dearest Freddie."

His friend glared at him. "Shut it, will you? I'm not even sure she counts much anymore… Remember Roxanne's best mate from school, Ziven Hooper?"

The "ohs" from George and Lorcan clued Parvati in that this girl was special. "What about her?" the witch asked.

"She…left an impression on me," Freddie continued, blushing.

"Told him off for pulling a prank on McGonagall," Lorcan provided.

"Though his sister'd been his partner-in-crime, _Freddie_ was the one whom Ziven made cry," George added.

Freddie glared at his father, completely red in the face. "Hey! You don't _have_ to go spreading that around! _Any_way," he said, "she was a pretty cool witch. But Roxanne stopped hearing from her after graduation. I have no idea where she even lives," the twin finished, hanging his head in shame.

Parvati frowned. "That _is_ rather awful… Are you sure Roxanne hasn't tried writing her? I mean, if they were _best_ mates…"

"I don't really know," Freddie answered. "I guess I just never broached the subject because Ziven was _Roxie's_ friend, not mine."

"Then it's fairly obvious, isn't it?" George leaned back on the couch. "_Ask_ Rox that question. You won't know until you do. And then you can proceed from there."

Parvati glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall beside her fireplace. "Which reminds me…" She stood and motioned the two boys up. "Lorcan, if you want to get anything done, you ought to start now. It's June twenty-second. You should treat every day like it's your last if you're willing to break that engagement." She looked at Freddie. "And you. Obviously, you need to be casual when asking your sister about her friend. So, lie in wait for your twin to come home. And be frank. Your situation isn't quite as delicate as Lorcan's here," she added, ushering them over to the fireplace and having both take some Floo powder. "Now, off you go! Get started—pronto!"

One after the other, Lorcan and Freddie left. Parvati nodded to herself, assured that at least _some_ good could come from being Shadowmen. Then she turned around and her face fell. Amidst all the scheming, neither she nor George had thought of themselves.

"Don't worry about it," he stated, seemingly reading her thoughts. He darkly smiled as she rejoined him on the couch. "They have a better chance at righting the past than we do, anyway."

Parvati slowly nodded. "So…you don't want to do anything?"

George shook his head. "It'd be pointless. My marriage is long over." A heavy silence settled over them.

"That was thoughtful of you," she commented. "Telling Lorcan about the treat… That was sweet." The witch smiled. "Just like a man, the best way to a woman's heart is through her stomach." As he grumbled slight agreement, her face fell. "You know what? Let's tail them. Come on!"

"_What_?" George gaped at her as she yanked on his arm and dragged him to the fireplace. "Are you mental?"

"Yes," she answered as she grabbed a handful of the Floo powder. "Where are Lorcan and Dominique likeliest to be?"

"Well, probably Shell Cottage, but—Parvati!" He yelled at her right as the green flames jumped up and licked her heels. She was gone before he could even touch her. His hand closed around nothing but smoke.

He glared at where she had been. "Dammit…," the father growled. He looked around the apartment, feeling awkward being alone in the alien space. Reluctantly, he stepped forward and dropped a handful of powder. "Shell Cottage!"

The journey was short and sweet and ended sourly as George crashed into Parvati's back. He started in on her, but Parvati covered his mouth with her hand. She touched a finger to her lips with her other, signaling him to be quiet. The dust settled and the adults strained their ears. There were voices coming from the other room.

"…go check? Seemed a little noisy for just Bushbell," Dominique said.

Parvati looked to George, who mouthed "her cat."

"Nah, it was probably just some pots falling from a rusty hook." This was definitely Lorcan. "How're things coming along, by the way?" he asked.

"Dreadful," she replied and her uncle could easily picture the Weasley trademark eye roll. "I always thought things just…_fell_ into place. It seemed that way with Victoire and Neville—"

"I remember that," Parvati whispered. "It was the visual definition of a fairy tale."

"—but for me and San, it seems like I've taken up a nine-to-nine job for no pay and with no breaks."

There was a pause. And then: "But think of the benefits," Lorcan muttered very softly. It was the painful sort of thing to say.

Another verbal pause ensued. Papers crinkled and George would've bet a galleon that he _heard_ her touch his hand. "That was lovely, Lorc."

"It really wa—mph!" Parvati glowered at George for covering her mouth this time, but he nodded in agreement.

Fingers drew across a table and Lorcan made noises of stretching. "Need a hand?" he asked, changing the subject. Nervousness tinged his voice. "I'm sure I'm crap at picking flowers, but surely I can arrange some appointments or something."

George took out his wand and silently cast Aguamenti near the corner. Now he and Parvati had a sharp, upside-down reflection of the scene unfolding in the kitchen. Dominique chuckled, but they could see the laughter reached her eyes. Maybe there was promise for Lorcan after all.

It was a moment before Dominique tossed her pretty blonde hair and dropped her hazel eyes to the mess before her and acquiesced. Lorcan's grin was a sheepish one in wolf's clothing—he hadn't planned on succeeding in any sort of way. His flustering gave George and Parvati the cue to leave; it was very probable that little else would happen with Lorcan's brain absent. George cleaned up the puddle with a Vanishing spell but left the kitchen a slight mess. It was better that Dom didn't realize anyone had arrived via the Floo Network and, as they surely couldn't Floo back for the need of shouting, George slipped Parvati and himself out the front door.

Once they had traipsed far enough, Parvati halted him. "So, shall we drop in on Fred?"

"Call him 'Freddie,'" George corrected. Parvati blanched, realizing she'd hit a sore spot. He turned his head away and tried to think of something else, though he knew his clenched jaw and the popping vein in his neck gave away his true thoughts.

They walked a little more before Parvati braved a certain storm. "You know what, George? You need to move past Fred. And Angelina. Both."

He whirled on her, no lingering trace of mischief evident in his expression. "'Move on'? Do you even _hear_ yourself? This is my dead twin! Unlike you three, I can't compete! And I don't think I want to!" With his last statement, the redhead slightly deflated, realizing he rather _did_ feel that sentiment.

Parvati grabbed his collar and yanked him down a head's length so they were eye-to-eye. "And you're _how_ old? Please. Get a grip." She sighed, shaking her head. "We've all been through shit, George. It's time to start living for yourself and stop wondering how different things would be if Fred were still alive." Her espresso-colored eyes softened. "Well? What do you say?"

Geor stared at her, searching within himself for a good reason not to agree with her. Trouble was, he felt compelled to leave the Fred situation alone, to let go as she instructed. But it was his Weasley stubbornness that wouldn't let well-enough alone. He half-heartedly smirked. "And if I decide to take back Ange? Then what?"

"I dunno…," the witch answered carefully as they resumed a brusque pace.

"You can't present a challenge without taking one up yourself," he said, the tiniest of glints returning to his blue eyes.

Parvati gave him a look. "All right, then. I take it this means I'm meant to sabotage my sister's relationship?"

"And why not? _She_ was the mistress," George pointed out. "He was _your_ artist first…"

She faced him and scoffed. "Someone's himself again."

He sniggered. "And _some_one never changed from her teenage years."

"Hey!" Parvati rolled her eyes, but she was at least amused. "This means we've got to work on our own plans, by the way, instead of just watching those two dolts flounder."

"I know, I know…" George caught her hand as she shoved his shoulder playfully. For a moment, they locked eyes. Then he realized he still held her hand. With her cheeks suddenly red as his, he gripped her hand and shook it. "So…uh, it's, uh, a deal, then. We're partners-in-crime." Or something like that.

- ^-^ 3

**XD Yup, you've got that right. Chemistry is lurking everywhere… B) Haha, lucky Lorcan. Who knows? Maybe he **_**will**_** get Dom…I'm not telling. ;P**

**So, please review! Up next: 3-"We Learn That Plans Go Awry" Keep on reading!**

**-mew! ;3**

**NOTE****: Ziven is Morghen's OC and yes, I have permission to use her. Check out Mor's fics and see where you can spot her! ;D**

**Alsoooo… Thank you Kylie, Jo, and jowx97 for the reviews! I appreciate it! (More reviews means faster updates…*hint*!)**


	3. We Learn That Plans Go Awry

**Shadowmen**

A HariPo fanfiction

by mew-tsubaki

Note: These characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. Chapter one was for the _**100 Prompts**_ challenge by **xXKissingSinXx**, and I used **29, 30, 58, 77, and 85.** Everyone should go check out her prompts! They're excellent for helping you get the right motivation to start a story! Anyways… Read, review, and enjoy! **NOTE****: Ziven is Morghen's OC and yes, I have permission to use her.**

- ^-^3

**Chapter 3: We Learn That Plans Go Awry**

George was unsure if he liked Parvati's aid in trying to woo Angelina. It was one thing with Lorcan and Freddie. They had never _had_ a relationship with the objects of their affections. George, however, had not only been married to the woman he still loved, but he'd loved her even _before_ Fred (or he) had crossed her mind.

To get her back, he was going to need some thoroughly good and new tactics.

"In a way, it's kind of good that you weren't with her at Hogwarts," Parvati told him a week later. They were at her flat and she was cooking something spicy as George worked on a new Wheeze. It had been a while since Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had turned out any new products; George was sure it was because Angelina had not been around to be delighted by his cleverness.

"And how's that?" he asked, not looking up from the small trinket in his big hands. He grunted and sighed, frustrated with it. It was supposed to be a new WonderWitch item, a hair clip that coiffed a witch's hair for her, regardless of how thick, thin, or curly said hair was. George was certain it would be a big hit…if he could ever finish the bloody prototype.

He heard Parvati sigh and he only looked up when she plucked his work from his hands. "George, you haven't listened to a word I said," she complained.

George gave her an expression of mock-offense. "Sure I have! Something about me and Ange and Hogwarts…"

She scoffed. "Wizards… That was a minute ago, you freckle-faced Flobberworm." A pan behind her sizzled, but she ignored it. "I was trying to come up with ideas for you and I need to know what you've done before." Parvati sat down across from him and cupped her cheeks. "So, spill."

"Er…"

"I mean it, George. Just tell me about your relationship with Angelina Johnson."

Where to start? Things obviously had not fallen right into place after the Battle of Hogwarts. Back then, the wounds were too fresh, still bleeding the pain, grief, and guilt too profusely. George had not merely lost a brother; he'd not even lost a limb.

What one incident had taken had robbed George of half of his _**soul**_.

It had been downhill from there. Seeing the grotesque, etched smile on his twin's face was a memory he'd never forget. Too, he recalled all the gasps of family and _their_ crying and _their_ moans of despair…but they hadn't lost what he had. No one had. As a result, no one would be able to ever empathize—no, not even _sympathize_ with the ocean of anguish in which he drowned. He would forever drown in it, because no one would cast him a line and reel him in to safety.

But someone did. And it just _had_ to be _that_ someone.

Believe it or not and despite the burning passion he'd once felt for her and still vaguely felt when she saved him, he had been even more than cross with her. No, "cross" couldn't even begin to describe it. For "cross" describes a type of irate annoyance, such as one might have if one's loved one told one a distracting joke during the Apparation license exam. Here, a much stronger word was needed. George. Was. Furious. With her.

It might've been funny in some ironic sense, for she wasn't the brave and bold Gryffindor she'd once been. Instead, she was actually very much like George, very mopey and depressed with a tad of that weepy that just clung to females. But her sharing his same mental state worked. It diffused his temper and made him realize that someone else had lost Fred that day, too. And not "lost" like the family losing him. But "lost" as in some bit of her had died or vanished that day, too. George now had a kindred spirit. It was only a little lame that it'd take him three years to notice.

Yet, three years were suddenly yesterday's sorrow. It was a fast year and a half that ensued and then George had finally decided Angelina really _was_ the one for him (something that his conscience would _never_ let him live down) and he'd proposed and they'd had a fun engagement and then there was the wedding and the honeymoon and nine months later they had twins.

And it was good. It was very good.

For a long while.

…

However, all things—especially the good ones, Fate's favorites to screw up—must come to an end.

And end they did.

Looking back on their life now, George could spot more than two decades of Angelina's devotion to their children…and Fred. There was no room for George. Who was George? The neighbor? Was he visiting, asking for some eye of newt again? Because he wasn't really a part of Angelina's life—definitely not her heart. In reality, _physically_ George was there, the husband, the father. Freddie and Roxanne saw him as what he was: their dad. They loved him loads…almost enough to make up for Angelina's lack of passion. But George should've stopped things _somehow_ when the twins had been born, because Angelina had it all planned.

_Angelina_ wanted to name their son "Fred."

So George called him "Freddie" (excluding rare moments of sternness/seriousness).

And so it went. Angelina had never really found room in her heart for George, George had never held anyone else in _his_ heart but her, and Angelina had decided that she couldn't keep hurting them anymore. So she left. At almost six months later, George was pretty sure he'd never get over the agony, because with her gone, Fred was gone, too.

So there George was, with only half a soul to comfort him once more.

Try as he might to give her the study guide version, George ended up telling Parvati certain things which he'd never voiced before. Angelina's devotion and heart? The words were new to his ears. The naming of their kids? Not even his family knew he hadn't picked the names. The missing soul? Well, the empathy in Parvati's dark eyes told him that he didn't have to ask her to take that one to the grave.

Following such a heavy confession, Parvati stood and returned to her cooking. George thought she didn't have anything to say until she placed a plate of something foreign and delicious-smelling in front of him. "Eat," Parvati suggested. "You're bound to be hungry after that, even for the lack of tears."

Neither said a word about Angelina or Fred during their small meal. However, the wizard faced a dilemma when the witch cleared the table. What was he doing here if…well, if there wasn't much point? Lorcan was helping Dominique, Merlin knew where Freddie was… "Oh," George realized aloud. How could he have been so thick?

"Something else on your mind?" Parvati asked as she placed some notes and parchment on the table; she was going to start on the column she owed the _Prophet_ tomorrow.

"What about Dean?" He blurted it out accidentally, but he shook off his slight embarrassment. They were both adults; talking about these things shouldn't be such a hard thing. Of course, a nagging voice reminded him of snapping at Parvati last week over Freddie's name…heh.

Parvati heaved a sigh. "To tell you the truth, my story isn't as romantic or tragic as yours. Honestly, it reads like a silly _Witch Weekly_ reader submission."

George had once made the mistake of flipping through that magazine when he was younger and Ginny had a subscription. Recalling some of those items his sister just ate up, he cringed. "Um…"

"Oh, don't worry, I'll spare you the details," she said, waving him off. "When I first started a relationship with him, it had nothing to do with the battle or really any bit of school time. It was—what? five, six? years ago when we ran into each other outside of Hogsmeade—I had an interview at the Three Broomsticks, you see—and one funny memory of our peaceful school days led to another and another which led to me jumping his bones." She made a tiny gagging sound in the back of her throat. "Oh, good Merlin, that was so stupid. Of anyone, _Lavender_ might've done that—not that that comment leaves this room," she hissed sharply as she paused to point at her guest. "But really, I'm not that type of woman. Never was, never will be… It's one of the few ways Padma and I are alike," she mumbled wistfully, cupping her cheek in her palm.

"How'd you find out?" George prodded.

The Indian woman stretched, not even thinking that her sweater would ride up a bit as she did so. George looked away, though he _did_ note that she was remarkably fit for a woman of her age. Parvati didn't notice anything was different, so she continued, "It was only a few days ago. Hence the lovely blotched face when I ran into you blokes." She sighed and fiddled with her plait; even after all these years, she still wore her hair in a braid. "Basically, we'd enjoyed a strong physical relationship which gained more emotional depth in the past three years. He, er, said my sister's name, if you catch my drift. I got out of bed and was expectedly unpleasant."

"There's got to be more."

Parvati grimly smiled. "Isn't there always? Well, you're right. Dean wanted to appease me, so he fumbled around on his side of the bed—ugh, we were at his place, by the way—and presented me with a long jewelry box. I was quiet at first. I mean, it was a velvet box, George. You ought to know the accompanying implications." She flicked her wand over her shoulder. A drawer in the kitchen opened and a necklace flew into her open palm. She passed it to George, who turned it over in his hands; it was a beaded necklace in various ocean blues and sea teals with a glass P as the pendant. It was quite lovely, really. "He gave that to me," she forged on, her eyes wet, "with a big, _charming_ smile on his face. I thought, 'Ooh, that's pretty' and then I unfolded the note. It said, 'I'm forever yours, Pad.'" Her eyes darkened and her temper flared to life. "'_Pad_.' As in '_Padma_!' As in my _fucking—bloody—twin—sister_!"

Parvati paused and pointed her wand at her fireplace, behind George's shoulder. She shot a fireball into it and it ignited. George felt very lucky neither he nor the boys were trying to Floo in or out of here.

"Explains why the pendant's blue," she growled.

Despite being scared of that fury, George touched her wand arm, lowered it, and took her wand to place it on the other side of the table. "Uh, yeah…" He watched her fiddle around her neck, but—"Didn't you used to have a matching P with her?"

She guiltily frowned. "Oh, I have it tucked away elsewhere. I couldn't bring myself to destroy it." Parvati sighed. "I haven't seen her since then, either… That night I gathered whatever of mine was at his place and stormed out of there…after casting an Engorgement Charm on that fat head of his." They laughed and she added, "I had to! His ego was big enough for five people and I wanted to demonstrate that!"

"Oh…" George shook his head, still grinning. "And…?"

She shrugged. "Since then, I've been okay, I s'pose."

"Y'know what you could play up?"

"What?"

"Be Padma. Take advantage of your looks." As her face fell, he scrambled. "No, no, just hear me out!"

Parvati stood and paced the living room. He got up and followed her. "I don't want to live as her," she mumbled dejectedly.

"I'm not saying you should _be_ her!" George cursed, exasperated. Were all women so pessimistic? "But you have two options: pretend to be her and slowly reveal yourself to him or…"

"Your 'or' better be a lot better than that," she warned.

"Or…you could act as Padma and slowly ruin his image of her." He smirked. "It'd be easier than you think. Fred and I would switch clothes all the time and our own _mother_ couldn't tell us apart."

Parvati's lips quivered, on the verge of breaking into a dubious yet mischievous grin. "Why, George, I do think you're evil."

"Thank you."

"However… Lovers are different from mothers. I have a feeling he could tell the difference between us. And he still likes her more."

"Now that's just stupid. _I_ would choose you over Padma."

The witch laughed. "George, you _know_ me! You barely know my sister!"

George huffed; she hated being shunted. "Well, _I_ can tell the difference. _You're_ the beautiful one, Parvati." The room—well, the apartment—fell silent. George blinked a couple of times, though he didn't look away from her rather stunned face. Woo. Hmm. It was, uh, getting quite warm in here… The fireplace was certainly crackling away there, making the room _veeery_ cozy…

Suddenly the room turned cold and the flames turned green. George and Parvati pulled away at the exact moment that Freddie stumbled into the living room. He straightened his T-shirt and dusted himself off—then he saw his father's face. "Dad, you all right? Your face is flushed… You aren't having a heart attack, are you?"

The Weasley father pinched his own leg, thinking that—in a way—yes, he _had_ had a slight heart attack.

"What's wrong?" Parvati asked, shifting the focus to the younger wizard. "You look a little pale, Freddie."

He blinked and his cheeks filled with color. Freddie averted his eyes. "I have a problem: I didn't have all the cards."

"What?" the adults said in unison.

"Ziven!" he explained, exasperated. "She has a boyfriend!"

- ^-^3

No sooner after having fed George, Parvati was feeding Freddie, too. She waved her wand and quickly had a batch of fresh roti. The whole wheat bread helped him talk.

"I got a bit of Roxie's time recently. Turns out that she _has_ stayed in touched, barely, with Ziven. And it was only last month that Ziven wrote Roxanne, saying she has a boyfriend." Freddie cursed, an action that showed his father in him.

George brushed some soot off his son's shoulder. "Well…look at Lorcan. A fiancée isn't stopping him."

"I know," the brunette answered, "which is why I was thinking of trying to reconnect with her." He blushed furiously as the other two applauded him. "Hey! I'm not entirely proud of all this sabotage!"

"It's not sabotage unless she really _is_ in a relationship," George stated.

Freddie blinked. "You think she's lying?"

Parvati cut in, "It's possible. Your sister has had a man for several years and she, along with you, helps out at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Roxanne's successful. No doubt Ziven doesn't want to be shown up."

"Have you…?"

"No, George, I myself have never done that. There's not much to show up if your best mate's dating Ron Weasley—no offense."

"None taken. He was a bit wet back then, huh? 'Won-Won' the ickle Ronniekins."

George and Parvati burst into peals of laughter, to which Freddie groaned. "You two are no help."

"Sure we are," the witch remarked. "Here's our advice: Do it. Write to her! Women like nothing better than a love letter hidden behind the mask of a friendly one." She winked and procured parchment and ink. "I'd say you should get writing."

Freddie followed her orders as if she were McGonagall. George turned to her. "What about me?"

Parvati smiled but motioned him up. "As I recall, you have work to do. You said you got shipments yesterday."

"Did I?" George pondered as she marched him to the fireplace. He was gone in a flash and arrived at his store. When silence and a stack of boxes greeted him, he smiled with a small chuckled. "I'm spending too much time in this love business…"

- ^-^3

It was a few days later before the father ventured another visit to the Indian woman's flat. When he _did_ land in her hearth, it was awful. The sun was beating down brutally outside, so travelling by _fire_ had not been the best option.

"Parvati," George called out. No one answered, so he carefully walked around. It appeared that Parvati wasn't home, and his thoughts were proven correct when he saw a note and a tall glass of some yellow-orange liquid on her dinner table. He picked up the note, which told him Parvati had some work to get done today, that glass was pumpkin lassi for him, and she'd see him at the Graces Three tearoom in Diagon Alley in a few.

As he sipped the sweet yogurt beverage, George mulled over the thought of going to the tearoom. It was a little-known place with good pastries and a quiet atmosphere, so he wondered what they'd be doing there. Perhaps Lorcan or Freddie had forgotten to tell them of a certain plan…?

The note asked George to be there at eleven sharp, which he thought was asking for much. But the lassi helped to fight off the midday swelter, so George left Parvati's flat and Apparated to the Graces Three.

A hostess greeted him and seated the wizard by a window. He figured it best that Parvati see him right off instead of having to look for him, though George had to cast a cooling spell on himself to keep up with the sun's rays. As eleven a.m. drew near, he took out the prototype clip and began to fiddle with it again. Then the clock struck the new hour and George looked up, searching for a dark face with even darker eyes. He froze.

Surely… Surely one of the boys had plans here…? R-Right…? Or maybe he was seeing things… Yeah! That had to be it! It was a mirage!

But as a different witch walked over to George's table, he knew he had to swallow the lump in his throat, though it felt like he'd just eaten a Ton-Tongue Toffee. "I, uh…," he stammered.

Clad in the robes of the Ballycastle Quidditch team, Angelina wore a faltering smile on her face. "Er, George…hullo."

The wizard suddenly wished he had not drunk that lassi, because now he was surprisingly cold.

- ^-^3

**Oh, boy. Angelina looks quite evil in this fic… This can only blow up in George's handsome face, huh? Not to worry, not to worry… I'll make things extra dramatic in the next segment! :D After all, my lovely Lorcan didn't have an appearance here! … *laughs maniacally***

**Please review! It's much appreciated! Up next: 4-"We Might Be Wondering…"**

**-mew! B)**

**P.S—Sorry for this being so late! Xo I had this done for a while, but I was freaking out over ch4 because I had misplaced my notebook for this story for a whole MONTH! Needless to say, I was sad. ;_; Anywho, thanks for all the favs, alerts, and reviews, people! :3 Dedication goes to ****jojor99****, ****jowx97****, and ****HarryPotterResidentEvilFanJnL****: Hope you three enjoyed 3 as much as you did 2!**

**As for everyone else…c'mon! If you've fav'd or alerted, just leave a little review! Now that I found my notebook, the chapters should be coming faster now…even faster with more reviews. B) Thank you! –mew**


	4. We Might Be Wondering

**Shadowmen**

A HariPo fanfiction

by mew-tsubaki

Note: These characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. Chapter one was for the _**100 Prompts**_ challenge by **xXKissingSinXx**, and I used **29, 30, 58, 77, and 85.** Everyone should go check out her prompts! They're excellent for helping you get the right motivation to start a story! Anyways… Read, review, and enjoy! **NOTE****: Ziven is Morghen's OC and yes, I have permission to use her.**

Sooo sorry for the long-awaited update, guys. -.- I thought I hadn't finished ch4…when it turned out that I had and just needed to post it. So sorry if you have to go skim/reread the 1st 3 chapters before commencing. –mew! :(

- ^-^3

**Chapter 4: We Might Be Wondering…**

Before he could stop her, Angelina sat down across from him in the seat he'd been so sure Parvati would occupy. However, now thinking hard on it, he realized he must've been _sent_ here to "bump" into Angelina. George fought the scowl at the idea that Parvati had planned this chance encounter; last he knew, he and Parvati had still been in the planning stage of his rekindling romance—_together_.

Angelina nervously chuckled. "Well, um. You look well."

George snapped back to the situation at hand. "Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah, yeah…" That shiver from before settled as a chunk of ice in his stomach. "So…Ballycastle, huh? Good thing Ginny's retired from Holyhead."

For a moment, Angelina's eyes hardened, though when her ex next blinked, the hardness was gone. "The Tutshill Tornadoes didn't want a seasoned veteran on their team. They only want fresh, young blood. But I've held my own on the team," she said, gesturing to her black robes which had a bright scarlet bat on them.

"Northern Ireland, though?"

She shrugged. "The Ballycastle Bats and I worked through an agreement. I still live here, but my fireplace is set up to reach Ballycastle." She smirked. "Having an international Floo feels empowering." Angelina gave a quiet laugh, but then an awkward silence followed. "Uh…what have you been up to?"

George choked on his tea. As if he could mention the Shadowmen! He snorted when he thought of Lorcan's advances, Freddie's determination, and Parvati's… Well, he just chuckled at the thought of Parvati. She really knew how to arrange the pawns on her chessboard. But he frowned; if he was here with Angelina, then that meant that Parvati was probably going through with his suggestion.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. Dean Thomas really didn't deserve her. …but George couldn't think who did.

Angelina waved a hand in his face, and he snapped out of his thoughts. "Sorry?"

She laughed and, for a fleeting moment, George saw the woman he had loved for so many decades. His heart softened as a flood of memories consumed him, and he could feel himself frowning involuntarily again. Unfortunately, Angelina knew him and had enough experience to read his expression and surmise where his mind was going. She stopped laughing. "George…," the witch warned.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, away from her. "What?"

"Don't even go there."

"Go where?" he patronized.

Angelina groaned and banged her head on the table. "You know _exactly_ what I mean!" She lifted her head and locked eyes with him, glaring. "We aren't going to pick up where we left off. I mean it. I…" The brunette licked her lips, a habit she did sometimes before saying something delicate—a habit she'd picked up from Hermione when they'd still been sisters-in-law. "I don't want to continue."

George winced. Those were the exact the words she'd said to him months ago. And just like back then, the words cut through him like a Severing Charm. He remained quiet.

If she noticed his pain, she didn't dwell on it, as she changed the subject. "You never answered me… How are you these days?"

"Fine, I s'pose." Responding made his tongue feel thick and heavy in his mouth.

"You seemed like you were expecting someone else," she stated, her voice tinged with something…sadness or envy, George couldn't tell. "Are you…?"

"Seeing someone?" he finished for her. "No." He had to bite his tongue from adding, "How could I, the way you left me?" He forced a small smile instead.

"Me neither," she mumbled. A long moment passed before she continued. "Any new inventions?"

"A few."

"Adding to the edibles or the WonderWitch products?"

"Little bit of column A, little bit of column B."

"How are the kids?"

"Fine. Alive. Adult."

Angelina's patience had waned. She glared at him. "Would you show me the respect of actually _talking_ to me? Never in my life could George Fabian Weasley be described as terse!"

He couldn't stop himself: "But it'd be a riot if Fred Gideon Weasley acted like a mute, wouldn't it?"

Simultaneously, Angelina looked livid and queasy. She pushed forward with her anger. "This is why I don't want to continue, George."

George deflated slightly, a bit panicky because, _really_, wasn't he supposed to be winning this lovely woman back? "Why? Am I not funny enough?"

"Please, George, _please_ don't go there—"

"Am I not creative enough? Handsome enough?"

"George, I'm not warning you, I'm _begging_ you—"

"—kind enough? Sensitive enough? Caring e—"

"_You and I just never __**clicked**__!_" she cried. Both were silent as they felt eyes turn on them, but there was no energy left to feel embarrassed. Angelina was silently crying and George's face looked like that of a person who'd just seen their familiar Avada Kedavra-d.

"Ah." George closed his gaping mouth. He dropped his eyes to the prototype which he'd all but forgotten.

Angelina turned her head away to stare out the window through blurry eyes. She didn't want to hear any more…

"I'm not Fred enough."

There. There it was. It hung in the air, a thick, iron curtain dropped between them to form a barricade as thick as the walls of Hogwarts Castle…walls that, once upon a time, had so easily shattered and taken one twin far too early. And that was how George and Angelina had arrived here. Oh, cycles, _vicious_ cycles.

It felt like forever before George could look at her again. Sure, he felt guilt—a bit—for vocalizing what'd been on their mind, but the blame… It was, to a certain extent, shared by them both. And George now felt as though he had some years on the late Nicolas Flamel.

Angelina sniffled and wiped her eyes. She coughed before speaking. "So the kids are fine without me."

George knew to drop it; it was as though they'd never had the Fred conversation. "…yeah," he finally muttered. "They've got their own lives. They're good."

She nodded. "Good, good…George." She paused and forced herself to look him in the eye. "I—I know I made the right choice."

At that, George felt one more fight in him surge forward, but his ex-wife shushed him when she placed a finger on his lips.

"George, I'm moving to Ballycastle."

He couldn't believe his ears. George gaped at her. "You're _what_?"

Angelina nodded and sadly smiled. "I am… That Floo connection at my place was only temporary. I'd been thinking of moving for a little while and I decided only last week that I'd go through with it."

"You…" His face grew warm. "When did Ballycastle recruit you?"

"_After_ I left, George."

"So that _didn't_ factor into your leaving the family."

"…no. No, it didn't." Angelina waited for him to say more but, when he didn't, she stood up and smoothed her robes. "I just…y'know, thought you should know."

George remained in his seat but followed her with his eyes. He looked up into her face one last time as she gripped his shoulder. "I don't s'pose a joke might help?"

To his surprise, she chuckled. "Oh, George… Jokes are for rainy days, mate. Not for eternal storms." She bent down and pecked the top of his head. "Goodbye…George."

He didn't turn to watch her leave, nor did he follow her form out of the corner of his eye through the window. He'd already seen her leave once—he didn't need to see her go again.

- ^-^3

For four days straight, George did not leave the shop. It helped to keep his mind and hands busy, but it was also good for him to be present just as demand surged for once. The last time he'd had shortages of anything had been last winter. Apparently, people liked jokes and pranks when they were either really hot or cold. All George cared was that they were alive and paying with real Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons.

When the Weasley father hit his fifth day of nonstop work, he began to tire a little. As it was a Saturday, George took lunch early and closed the store for an hour. He'd just sat down to eat a sandwich when someone knocked on the front door's window.

Groaning, he hopped up and shoved his sandwich in his pocket. He stomped over to the door and opened it. "Oi! Can't you read Engli—"

"Uncle George!"

He blinked as he had to catch a witch with a mass of platinum blonde waves. "Dominique?"

His niece grinned, her hazel eyes bright. "It's been a long while, Uncle George. How's the shop? Why are you on break at the busiest hour?"

"I, uh—" He spotted her companion behind her and regained a little bit of his footing. "Oh. Lorcan."

"Hey, there, George."

George raised his eyebrows. The Scamander had said the same thing a couple of weeks ago before the Shadowmen had even been formed. "Hello."

Dominique looked at the store out around her uncle. "Um, do you mind if I do a little bit of shopping?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been so busy with all the wedding preparations," she stated. "I've barely had time for anything else. Actually, Lorc and I came to Diagon Alley to finalize the dress and take care of other order forms at Malkin's. Vic was a big help, but she had to tend to another customer, so Madam Malkin wrapped up my appointment and—well, it's been forever since I've seen WWW!" Somehow, she managed to say it all in one breath. But she beamed at him. "Business is booming."

George couldn't help but smile. Dom had such a vibrant, bubbly personality. He pulled her into a bear hug and gestured to the place. "Shop to your heart's content, Dom. I'll even give you a discount."

Dominique raised her eyebrows with a laugh as she headed toward the Pygmy Puff corner. Lorcan watched her and remarked in a low voice to George, "The elusive family discount? What the hell happened?"

The father sighed and motioned for the blonde wizard to follow him away from Dominique, towards the register. George waited a moment until Dominique wasn't facing their direction. "Angelina."

Lorcan started to smile then stopped when George sent him a disgruntled look. "I thought that was something good!"

"Me, too." Then he filled Lorcan in on what had actually occurred. "I… Well, I guess it's no surprise I haven't met up with the three of you at all. I'm rather useless as a Shadowman now, aren't I? Angelina cast the spotlight on single, old me." He grimaced. "My shadow was ripped out from under my feet."

Lorcan frowned. "Aw, George… I, I don't know what to say."

"It's all right. What you just said's fine."

The blue-eyed wizard nodded. "If I may… Freddie's had some luck with Ziven. He's gotten a handful of letters as hopeful evidence," he added with a small chuckle.

"That's great," George said, and the first real smile he'd had in days reached his eyes. "Obviously, things are going well with my bubbly niece."

Lorcan grinned. "I've been an extra pair of hands."

"You're watching where those hands go, _right_?"

He held them up. "Innocent, positive."

George nodded. "So where's your brother in all of this?"

"Just caught up in work. I know he wants to teach Care of Magical Creatures, but his apprenticeship with Hagrid is getting ridiculous." He cursed under his breath as his eyes rested on Dominique once more. "Dominique is more hurt than she's outwardly showing."

"Oh?"

"George… A couple of nights ago I had to magically lock away the seating chart. It was late, but she needed to eat something. I started to throw something together and she came over to me and just…just _wrapped_ her arms around me." Lorcan grimaced and sighed exasperatedly. "She looked up at me and it felt like time froze. She almost… She almost kissed me!" he hissed.

George furrowed his brow. "I thought that's what you wanted. I thought that was the point of our organization."

"I know…" Lorcan shook his head. "But I can't help but think Dom wouldn't have acted like that if she didn't see me as a Lysander replacement. I—I'm starting to wonder if she even sees _me_. I'm starting to wonder if this is a good idea at all."

George pursed his lips. "Join the club, mate." Silence settled over the two of them, though the shop owner definitely had one more question on the tip of his tongue.

"Parvati seems to have some small degree of success."

Though he was glad that he didn't have to ask about her, George could also feel his stomach drop. What did Lorcan mean by "success"? Was Parvati really impersonating Padma? And just how far was Parvati going to have to go to convince Dean? That muscle in his jaw twitched again over the thought of Dean having Parvati near him… Really, Dean and Padma were in the wrong and therefore deserved each other… Parvati needn't be hurt anymore by them… Maybe George could convince her that the Shadowmen could just find her another wizard, one not so sleazy…

"…orge? George!"

"_What_?" he hissed, annoyed at having been disrupted from his thoughts.

Lorcan looked at him funny. "Er, why's there a sandwich in your pocket?"

- ^-^3

**All my lateness aside, I still find that I like this chapter a lot. The turning point is already rolling into motion, and I look forward to completing ch5 and posting it. Ch5 will mark the halfway point of this story, but I pretty much know where it's going, so I hope the only way I might disappoint will be in posting. Sheesh, I can't apologize enough! Xo**

**Please review! It's much appreciated…and wanted, *lol*! Up next: 5-"We Taste SWEET?"**

**-mew! ;}**

**P.S—Thanks for all the favs, alerts, and reviews, people! :3 Dedication goes to ****jojor99****, ****jowx97****, ****HarryPotterResidentEvilFanJnL****, and ****lowi****: Hope you four like how Lorc's and George's minds are churning. ;D**


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